Need a wet weather/winter use road bike .. Was ideally going to pick something up secondhand around £300-£400 but there are compromises re-spec/age/money needing spending possibly ?

So I’m pushing the button on this tomorrow

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/318560/products/2016-giant-defy-0-road-bike-black-blue.aspx?origin=pla&kwd=&currency=GBP&gclid=CK3q3ui3v9ICFcUp0wodD7EFHA

I know the defy 1 is £629 but being white is a no.

I’ve checked out Planet X – Ribble – decathlon – Merlin etc and scoured the internet for last years bargains

What say stw 😀

Defy is a very good bike.

Make sure it takes proper mudguards

I would be looking at a new BTwin Triban 520 or 540 from Decathlon.

No mounts for guards, so pretty useless as a winter bike.

Id buy this
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-7005-winter-bike-of-the-week/?currency=GBP&gclid=CjwKEAiAi-_FBRCZyPm_14CjoyASJAClUigO8cIzakdiyEOCKFImleHmV23c2KUcQ7rrDUezroPCHBoCpVXw_wcB

No mounts for guards, so pretty useless as a winter bike.

The FAQ says that it has mounts for guards.

I got a 2016 Cube attain SL disc – happy with it. Has a full 105 hydro disc groupset, and cube make their own mudguards to fit.

My FB feed keeps having a carbon Trek with mudguards already fitted being sold on special offer, Sod’s law is now I can’t find it.

I’d get the Cube Attain mentioned above from Rutland or Pauls Cycles.

I picked up the Cube Attain SL Disc from CRC too, with BC discount and Quidco cashback it was too good a price. Full 105 Group set

BTWIN ultra 700 AF. Reduced to £599 if you can find your size in a shop, alternatively the 900AF at £799 with full 11 speed 105.

It’s under 9kg with a lead weight wheel set on it so ripe for upgrades too.

I still don’t understand how you can “push the button” on a bike without trying/riding a few first?

Right from the beginning of serious “cycling” I learned from test riding at a good dealer a Specialised Hardrock, Rockhopper, Rockhopper aluminium, and then an Marin of some description, being a bit “meh” on them all, then buying a well underspecc’ed and more expensive Orange Clockwork. Seriously, the bike I bought had just Alivio, and was 25% more than the others, but it absolutely sang to me as a bike, rather than just a “conveyance”.

The Giant might be a splendid bike, but only for those who it fits well. Your ideal bike might actually not be that bike, it might be mroe, or less, and better or lower spec. Its about the best fit for you, not VFM.

Especially important on Road bikes. If you got £750 to spend on a second push bike, you probably have £850 to spend at a LBS, having tried a few bikes and thus working out why they are more expensive than the interweb. Its a bike, not a bloody hoover.

Its a bike, not a bloody hoover.

I wish you could test drive hoovers. I’ve owned 3 and they’ve all been shit.

it absolutely sang to me as a bike

And there I was enjoying my cup of tea….now I’ve got to wipe it off the keyboard now 😕
Was it Beyonce? Please let it be Beyonce…that would be precious.

I’ve had many giant tcr’s over the years and they ride really well to me.. The defy having 54.5 tt over the tcr 55.5 is a bonus too as being long leg short body I’d always ran my tcr with shorter stems..

Those cube attains look good .. Only size 58’s come up £799 🙁

(although I don’t actually do it 😳 ) It’s a fair point about trying bikes – I rented an orange clockwork for a weekend once and thought it was a heavy piece’o’shite compared to my mate’s alu Trek

makes you think

BTWIN ultra 700 AF. Reduced to £599 if you can find your size in a shop, alternatively the 900AF at £799 with full 11 speed 105.

It’s under 9kg with a lead weight wheel set on it so ripe for upgrades too.
This is what I’d get, my wife has the 900AF and it’s bloody lovely, good spec and rides really well. It’ll get some new wheels this year and that’ll make it even better.

Those cube attains look good .. Only size 58’s come up £799

you know Cube sizing is whack though? Worth checking the geo as they seem to list a size or 2 higher than they are compared to other manufacturers.

I still don’t understand how you can “push the button” on a bike without trying/riding a few first?

Right from the beginning of serious “cycling” I learned from test riding at a good dealer

45yrs old and been riding since I was a kid. Currently own 7 bikes, with another on order. Never test ridden a bike. Only had 1 bike I didn’t like and that wouldn’t have come to light from a test ride (Mk.1 Nomad with horrible lower-link compression with granny ring climbing, took 2 or 3 weeks to really get on my nerves). To be fair though none of them are musically accomplished.